As a political veteran who first held responsibility for Middle Eastern policy in 2010 and retains the portfolio this year, Alistair Burt has seen the bilateral relationship through several phases.
Last week, as as Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed visited Britain, Mr Burt reflected to The National some of the trends over the years and how the partnership worked on some of the biggest issues facing the international community.
The common purpose between the UK and UAE was part and parcel of the visit of Sheikh Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
The trip came as both countries were anticipating talks in Geneva over Yemen. The UAE, as a pillar of the Saudi-led international coalition fighting to restore the legimitate government to the country, has backed the efforts of UN envoy Martin Griffiths to reconcile it with warring factions. In the interview, Mr Burt said there continued to be sympathy in the British government for the goals of the coalition, even as Westminster hopes for a resolution through Yemen’s own national dialogue.
To that end, British officials have worked with the coalition and remained steadfast in the face of criticism from some quarters of the continuing conflict. “We remain understanding [about] why the coalition came into Yemen in the first place,” said Mr Burt, acknowledging that media attention was often diverted away from the actions of the Houthis and Iranian interests.
Speaking of the shared viewpoints, Mr Burt added that while battlefield pressure played its part, there was not a military solution. In the end, he said, both sides held the view that “for the obvious reasons the future of Yemen has got to Yemeni-determined”.
There is also a deep and developing partnership between Britain and the UAE on counter-extremism, through, for example, the trailblazing Abu Dhabi-based anti-extremism centre Hedayah. “We remain partners in countering global terrorism and absolutely share interests in countering extremism,” Mr Burt said.
The two countries will inevitably not always be identically aligned. Mr Burt has been a leading voice as Europe seeks to sustain the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran since US President Donald Trump pulled the US out and began restoring sanctions.
He talked of the fascinating network of ties and links, including trade, that have existed for generations across the Gulf. Fresh from his own trip to Iran, he drew a contrast with the overall atmosphere now reigning in Iran's relationship with the region. The aggression of Tehran's proxies and agents across the region is well-recognised. "No one is condoning this," he said.
And he offered reassurance that whatever financial mechanisms are offered to Iran to sustain European trade will have necessary safeguards.
On the heels of his trip came Sheikh Abdullah’s visit to Britain, with the overriding theme of advancing cultural and personal connections between the two countries.
As Mr Burt pointed out, Britain has a historic relationship with the region that long predates the British joining the European Union and ties are not dependant on membership for vitality. The process of Brexit offers an opportunity to assure long-standing partners like the UAE of constructive future engagement. “I’ve been at some pains to explain that whatever Brexit may mean in terms of our foreign policy it won’t mean a country turning in on itself,” he adds.
And that indeed was something celebrated during the hectic UAE itinerary in London. Sheikh Abdullah inaugurated the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Gallery in the British Museum. The hall and its exhibits celebrate the deep ties that stretch from the ancient Middle East with the development of agriculture in the region. That led to cultural and lifestyle changes that transformed the world over thousands of years.
Members of the delegation, including Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister for Cultural and Knowledge Development and Zaki Nusseibeh, the UAE Minister of State, also attended an Emirati installation at the London Design Biennale. The Time is Subjective installation is also an important platform to showcase how far the seven emirates of the federation have developed unique conceptual perspectives in the decades since its foundation.
In addition to hosting a lunch with Sheikh Abdullah and the new foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, Mr Burt also attended the evening launch of the Emirates Society, a new meeting point for all those engaged with the UAE and its culture in the UK. The society aims to host exchanges and speeches that foster bilateral understanding. “One of the things that is interesting about the friendship society is that it was not purely about politicians and people pursuing political interest but it draws people across the board,” he said.
Whether it is the 100,000-plus Britons living and working in the UAE, the many Emiratis with a myriad of links to the UK or the biggest issues of the day, there is, it seems, a favourable stocktake of a broad and deep partnership.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Fixtures
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
